DALLAS – (Aug. 5, 2014) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the final approval of the 50th greenhouse gas (GHG) permit in Texas. In Texas alone, EPA has received 83 GHG permit applications from businesses since 2011. Texas is No. 1 in the country for receiving EPA-issued GHG permits for projects totaling well over $24 billion and creating over 20,000 construction jobs in the state.

“Today is a major milestone in the work EPA has done with businesses and the state of Texas to ensure our economy continues to thrive while promoting cleaner, more efficient energy production and use,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “We share our success with TCEQ and the joint permitting program our agencies started last year to process business’ applications for permits.”

Most recently, EPA issued three final GHG Prevention of Significant Deterioration construction permits for the Formosa Plastics Corporation facility in Point Comfort, Texas, near Victoria.

Formosa is expanding its chemical complex and taking three actions with its Turbines unit, Olefins unit and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) unit. The expansion alone will bring over $2 billion in capital investments, create 1800 construction jobs and 225 long-term operations jobs in the local area.

Formosa will add two new gas-fired combined-cycle gas turbines to the existing chemical utility unit. Each turbine will have a capacity to generate 80 megawatts of electrical power. The existing utility plant will consist of the six existing General Electric 7EA gas-fired turbines plus the two new GE 7EA gas-fired turbines with duct burners.

In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specify that beginning on January 2, 2011, projects that increase GHG emissions substantially will require an air permit.

EPA believes states are best equipped to run GHG air permitting programs. Texas is working to replace a federal implementation plan with its own state program, which will eliminate the need for businesses to seek air permits from EPA. This action will increase efficiency and allow for industry to continue to grow in Texas.Of the 189 GHG permits issued nationwide, EPA has issued 61 and the states have issued 128. EPA has finalized 50 GHG permits in Texas, proposed an additional four permits, and currently has 11 additional GHG permit applications under development in Texas.